Leahy Wants Immigration Benefits for Gay Couples

Sen. Patrick Leahy want the government to start affording same sex, married couples the same immigration benefits that heterosexual couples now enjoy.

Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, says he will introduce later Wednesday the Uniting Families Act, a bill that would provide spousal immigration benefits to same sex couples. Leahy discussed the bill briefly during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration reform.

Because the federal government does not currently recognize same sex marriages, U.S. citizens cannot sponsor their same sex partners for immigration benefits, including green cards.

The Justice Department is no longer defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court is set to take up gay marriage cases later this year.

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Comments

Wayne M., 2013-02-15 21:44:51

Congratulations to Senator Leahy who is truly taking a genuine pro-family position. Those who would deny equality to same-sex married couples and same-sex led families cannot honestly pretend to be pro-family.

wizbang_fl, 2013-02-23 05:56:58

But this is all moot if DOMA is deemed unconstitutional by the supreme court.

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